Advertising device



(No Model.) V 4 SheetsSheet 1.

E. FLETCHER. ADVERTISING DEVICE.

No. 583,679. Patented June 1,-1897,

Illll (No Model.), 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. FLETCHER. ADVERTISING DEVICE.

No 583,679. Patented June 1,1897" X /%fl/%//// //M4 7//// q/ l I (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. VB. FLETCHER.- ADVERTISING DEVICE.

q/vi'tmeweo UNITED STATES PATENT Oriucn.

ELMER FLETCHER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ORAL ADVERTISING DEVICE COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,67 9, dated June 1, 1897. Application filed Tune 20, 1896. Serial No. 596,309- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that LELMER FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, countyof Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of display apparatus in which a series of panels are successively exhibited, with sound-producing means for attracting attention to the panels; and my invention consists of certain improvements fully set forth hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional plan of a display apparatus embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the interior supporting-frame. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus on the line 6 (2, Fig. 1. Fig. t is an enlarged section on the line i t', Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5, an enlarged perspective view of the ping and starting devices.

carrier; 6, a sectional plan on the line ff, Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a cross-section of the phonographic sounding apparatus enlarged. Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the phonograph stop Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan of the phonographic sounding apparatus. Fig. 10 is an enlarged section of the trumpet. Fig. 11 is a sectional View illustrating a modification.

Within a suitable case X is supported a frame A, which, as shown, has a curved section 3, from which radiate three arms 5 6 7, while one or more curved arms 4 extend downward. One is shown, and has at its end a step or bearing for a vertical shaft 1, to which is connected a disk 2, the upper surface of which is somewhat above the upper face of the frame A. A series of plates or panels 6 is supported by the shaft 1 in any suitable manner. Thus each panel 6 is provided with two arms 19 19, each of which has an eye, receiving the shaft 1. It is desired that the series of panels e shall normally occupy a position back of the shaft 1, with two of the panels in linewith each other on opposite sides of the shaft and a third at right angles between the other two, as shown in Fig. 1, the sides of the panels having advertisements or other display matter, and that at intervals the third panel shall be carried from its central position to one side, while one of the panels in the side position shall be carried to the center, these operations succeeding each other, so as to expose one face of each panel first toward the front of the case, then bring the panel to a central position to expose both faces, and then carry it to its third position to expose the opposite face to that which was first exposed, and to perform these operations automatically. In connection with these operations upon the panels Ipropose also to makean oral announcement, preferably upon each change in the position of the panels, the announcement preferably pertaining to matters illustrated or described upon the panels, and also in some instances to accompany or substitute for the oral announcement an instrumental performance of some char- 7o acter which will serve to further attract at tention to the matter upon the panel.

Different means may be employed for shifting the panels in succession, as above described. I will now describe one means which 7 5 I have found to be effective. a

All of the panels normally restupon the disk 2, and from the section 3 of the frameA extend two lugs 8 9, Fig. 2, the former in such position as to prevent the panel in the position 00, Fig. 1, from swinging forward, while the lug 9is in a position to prevent the panel in the central position a" from swinging forward. The panel in the position 00 is also prevented from swinging back by means of a catch 0, consisting of a lever pivoted at y, having a weighted arm 12 and an upright finger 10, with a beveled edge, over which the panel will pass, depressing the catch until the panel strikes the lug 9, when the catch o will rise and lock the panel in place. Asimilar catch 0 yields as the panel passes to the position 00 and then rises so as to prevent the panel from swinging back. As each panel is carried to the position x and as the panel in the position 00 is simultaneouslycarried to the position 00', it is necessary to turn the whole series of panels at the back of the case. An effective means of doing this is to provide the lower edge of each panel opposite I00 the edge of the disk 2 with a shoe F, extending equally beyond the opposite sides of the panel and contacting with the similar shoe of the adjacent panel as the panel is carried to the position :0 thereby pushing round the entire series of panels at the back of the case. It will be apparent that the extent to which the shoe projects beyond the sides of the panel will depend upon the number of panels that are in the apparatus, it being necessary that all of the shoes shall be in contact to the extent of the half-circle occupied by the pan els at the rear of the case, so that as a panel is brought to the position a? the whole series will be turned to bring another into the position '1 If, therefore, there are but two pan els, the shoes will project to a greater extent than when the panels are more numerous. The shoes are preferably arranged such distance from the shaft 1 that the edges of the shoes will rest upon or abut against the edge of the disk 2, and in this way a substantial guide or rail is furnished for the shoes by which to assist in the easy and uniform movement of the panels.

In order to carry the panels in succession first from the position 00 to the position so and then after an interval from the position 0a to the position 50 I make use of a carrier of such a character as to lift each of the panels in the positions a; 00 high enough to escape the lugs S 9 and then swing them each in a quarter-circle. The carrier may be constructed in different ways. As shown, a hub D, Fig. 5, vibrating on the shaft 1, is provided with two arms 18 14, extending radially outward, and with a third arm 20, connected by a rod 21 with a crank-pin 22 upon a revolving disk 23, the rotation of which imparts a reciprocatin vibratory movement to the hub and its arms.

At the outer end of each arm 13 ll is pivoted a weighted pawl having a stud 24, which bears upon a curved rail-25, whereby the pawl is held in an inclined position until the pointed end 26 of the pawl is brought beneath a conical recess 10 in the shoe F. As this occurs the stud 24c escapes from the end of the rail 25, and the pawl assumes an upright position, entering the recess w and lifting the panel above the stud S or 9, the pawl 1naking contact with a stud 27 on the arm, so that it cannot turn farther as the panel is carried with the arm to its new position. The hub D then reverses its movement, when the pawls G will swing into position to bring their studs 24 above the rails 25, and the arms will be carried back into position to engage other panels and feed them forward in like manner. In order to properly adjust the parts, the hub D consists of a section 17, with which the arm 20 is connected, which section is adjustable on the shaft 1 and may be secured after adj ustment by a set-screw 30, while each of the arms 14: 13 extends from a ring 15, secured in position upon a neck of the section 17 by means of a set-screw 16.

Any suitable means may be employed for rotating the driving-disk 23. As shown, the disk has a toothed periphery engaging a worm on a shaft 32, driven by a belt 31 from a motor M, which may be constantly or intermittently in motion.

The oral or musical accompaniments to the exhibition of the panels may be effected through the medium of well-known devicesfor instance, a phonograph or other talkingmachine or a regina or othermusic'box. I prefer to make use of a phonograph for either or both purposes, the cylinder upon the phonograph being provided with the proper oral announcements, each followed by a piece of instrumental or vocal music, and I provide the case with means whereby such announcements and music maybe transmitted so as to be readily heard from the outside of the case. It is of course necessary in the case of a phonograph to carry back the diaphragm to a starting position after .the diaphragm has traversed the length of the cylinder, and I therefore provide the phonograph with the proper reversing and restoring means. One means which I have found to be effective and which may be used for various purposes is illustrated in the drawings.

There is arranged opposite the frame K of the phonograph a screw J, the threads of which are run in the reverse direction to and with a steeper pitch than those of the feed-screw of the phonograph. The lifting-arm L of the phonograph is extended so that when raised its end will engage the threads of the screw J, and this arm is raised as soon as the diaphragm of the phonograph has reached the end of the cylinder, when the screw J, engaging with the arm, will carry it back to the starting position, when the arm will again be depressed out of contact with the screw J with the result of again putting the diaphragm into connection with the usual feed-screw.

One means of lifting and depressing the arm L consists of two disks II II, turning in opposite directions and provided with crosspins 40 40, preferably adjustable, the pin 40 of the disk II lifting the arm L to put it in connection with the screw J and the pin 40 of the disk II depressing the arm L. The arm L is preferably provided with two fingers ll 42. The finger 41 occupies such a position that when the arm L is elevated the pin 4-0 of the disk II will pass beneath the finger 4-1 and strike the end of the arm L, swinging it down to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 7, when the finger 41 will be brought against the top of the pin 40, thereby preventing the arm L from falling suddenly, allowing it to descend only as fast as the pin 40 passes downward. The finger 4:2 is in such a position that when the diaphragm is at the end of its travel the pin 40 of the disk H will come in contact with the under side of the finger 41 and lift the arm L to its upper position in engagement with the screw J.

Different means may be employed for driving the two disks H H in opposite directions. As shown, the disk II, as well as the screw J, is secured to a shaft 45, having at the oppow site end a band-pulley46, while the disk His secured to a sleeve 47, turning on the shaft 45 and carrying a band-pulley 48. A straight belt passes to the pulley 48 and a cross-belt from the pulley46 to a pulley 49 on the feedshaft of the phonograph or directly to the motor.

It may be desirable in some instances to make use of the entire surface of the phonographie cylinder as each panel is brought to a display position. Of course in such case the phonograph should be started simultaneously with the change in the positions of the panels and stopped after the cylinder is exhausted, or it may be after a fraction of the cylinder is exhausted. Different means may be employed for stopping and starting a phonograph, one of which consists in tightening or loosening the usual belt 50, that drives the feed-screw 51. Thus one (or it may be both) of the guide-rollers 52 may be raised or lowered to loosen or tighten the belt 50. As shown, (see Figs. 8 and 9,) one of the said rollers is upon the arm of a shaft 53, from one end of which extends an arm 54, adapted to make contact with a cam N on the dis 23. Then such cam comes in contact with the arm 54, it rocks the shaft 53 to tighten or loosen the belt. If the belt is tightened, the phonograph is set in operation. If it is loosened, it remains out of operation. The cam N may consist of two sections 55 56, which may be brought one above the other or carried to almost in line with each other, so as to regulate the time for which the arm 54 is pushed back and the time that the phonograph is in operation.

To facilitate the hearing of the matters on the phonograph by parties outside of the case, I provide a trumpet Q, Figs. 3 and 10, extending through the case, preferably near the top, and communicating through a pipe 58, partly rigid and partlyfiexible, with the space above the diaphragm of the phonograph.

Heretofore it has been considered necessary to have a large metallic trumpet in order to distribute the sound from the phonographic cylinder. I have discovered that a better result can be secured with a small trumpet, provided the same is so constructed as to form a deflecting-surface, throwing the sound received by said surface directly outward through the mouth of the trumpet. Thus I construct the trumpet with a surface '1), occupying about an equal angle to the line it, in which the sound-waves approach the surface and to the line 25 through the mouth of the trumpet, at which the sound-waves are deflected. This surface 1) may be flat or,

slightly concave.

While I have referred to the locking means for holding the panels as lugs on the frame, the lugs might be on the panels, as shown in Fig. 11, so as to enter holes I) on the frame A, the pawls lifting the panels the same as before, or other locking means might be employed.

It will be evident that the pawls or engaging devices may be of different forms.

WVithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, I claim 1. The combination with a series of panels arranged to swing round a central support, of means for locking some of the panels in radial positions, and a carrier engaging and directly lifting the locked panels and shifting them to other positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a series of panels arranged to swing round a central support, of means for lockin g some of the panels in radial positions, and a carrier engaging and directly lifting the locked panels automatically and shifting them to other positions, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a series of panels arranged to swing round a central support, of means for, lockin g some of the panels in radial positions, pivoted weighted pawls engaging and directly releasing the locked panels, and a carrier for shifting said panels to other positions, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a series of radiallysupported panels, of locking-1n gs 8, 9, 10, and a vibrating carrier having pawls G adapted to engage and directly lift the panels and swing the same, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the series of radially-supported panels, of contacting shoes at the edges of the panels, each shoe arranged to extend an equal distance on opposite sides of its panel, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the series of radial panels, and a central support having a disk supporting the lower edges of the panels, of shoes at the lower edges of the panels arranged to be guided by the disk and to make contact with each other, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the series of radiallyswinging panels, of shoes on the panels, a vibrating carrier and pawls pivoted thereto and adapted to engage said shoes and lift the panels,.substantially as described.

8. The combination of the radially-swingin g panels and shoes thereon having recesses, of a reciprocating carrier, pawls pivoted thereto with projections adapted to enter said recesses and to directly lift the panels, and locking-lugs 8, 9, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the radially-swinging panels, locking-lugs 8, 9, and catches O and a carrier directly lifting the panels over said lugs, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the radially-swinging panels, locking-lugs and catches having beveled ends and adapted to yield under the movements of the panels in one direction, substantially as described.

v1l. The combination with the radiallyswinging panels and locking means of a vibrating carrier provided with pawls adapted to directly lift the locked panels, means for turning the paivls to engage the panels as the pawls are brought beneath the panels, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the radially-swinging panels, of a reciprocating carrier, pawls pivoted thereto'for directlylifting the panels and provided with studs, and rails for said studs to bear upon substantially as described.

13. The combination with the radially-sup ported panels of a carrier consisting of a hub provided with radial arms, devices pivoted to the said arms to engage and directly lift the panels as the arms approach the panels, and means for maintaining this engagement until the motion of the carrier is reversed, substantially as described.

14. The combination in the carrier of the arms, stops 27 and paivls pivoted to the arms and adapted to engage said stops, substantially as described.

15. The carrier consisting of the hub and arms adjustably connected with the hub and carrying devices for engaging; and directly lifting the panels, substantially as described.

16. The combination of the shaft 1, panels swinging around said shaft, a vibrating carrier arranged directly below the shaft and provided with devices for engaging and directly lifting the panels, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the series of radially-swinging panels of the frame A provided with locking devices, and a vibrating carrier provided with means for directly lifting the panels out of locking engagement, substantially as described.

18. The combination of the series of swinging panels, of a frame A provided with looking devices and with rails 25, and a Vibrating carrier provided with pawls having studs 2% adapted to ride the rails to trip the pawls, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a display apparatus, of a series of panels and means for exhibiting the same in succession, a soundproducing apparatus, a motor and appliances for shifting the panels therefrom and auto matic means for putting the sound-producing apparatus into action as the panels are shifted substantially as described.

20. The combination with a series of panels, means for successively exhibiting the same and motor therefor, of a phonograph, means for putting the same automatically into and out of action provided with devices for regulating automatically the duration of such action, substantially as described.

21. The combination of the panels, motor and shifting devices including the disk 23, a phonograph and stopping and starting means and adjustable cam-sections 55, 5G, for operating said stopping and starting devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ELMER FLETCHER.

\Vitnesses:

R. B. EASTMAN, RUDOLPH FULLING. 

